This year I rode direct from Malabar at 6.45am in order to avoid the congestion at the start, and joined the event at Grand Parade Brighton. It rained lightly till Heathcote and then turned into a magnificent day with moderate WSW winds.
I arrived at Heathcote at 8.10am and avoided most of the slower riders coming out of the 56k start.
At the lunch stop in National Park I stopped to take off my rain coat and Alison and Sue R came along. I then had a very pleasant ride to Wollongong with them. The gel pad in my pants greatly reduced the saddle soreness over last year. The new finish location and course route was much improved. Also met up with Anne and John at the finish and we all had a great lunch at the Aqua Bar.
Lunch was so good I decided to ride back to Malabar to work it off. But what route? I decided the most direct route would be up the Northern Distributor and then straight up the gut busting Bulli Pass. I managed to make it almost to the top of the Pass but exhaustion, and the lack of a road shoulder, made me walk the last 500 metres. Once on top it was an easy, pleasant ride along the freeway with the wind at my back. I had some great long runs in the tuck position. Half way along a road side fruit seller insisted that I eat as many mangoes and grapes as I liked at no charge! I wolfed them down and even took a bunch of grapes for later. The fruit gave me new energy and in no time I was at Brighton, where I had to carefully negotiate the Sunday afternoon crowds and then the final challenge of the Airport tunnel and crossing the lanes to Foreshore Road. Finally made it home just before 6pm. Felt pretty good.
I arrived at Heathcote at 8.10am and avoided most of the slower riders coming out of the 56k start.
At the lunch stop in National Park I stopped to take off my rain coat and Alison and Sue R came along. I then had a very pleasant ride to Wollongong with them. The gel pad in my pants greatly reduced the saddle soreness over last year. The new finish location and course route was much improved. Also met up with Anne and John at the finish and we all had a great lunch at the Aqua Bar.
Lunch was so good I decided to ride back to Malabar to work it off. But what route? I decided the most direct route would be up the Northern Distributor and then straight up the gut busting Bulli Pass. I managed to make it almost to the top of the Pass but exhaustion, and the lack of a road shoulder, made me walk the last 500 metres. Once on top it was an easy, pleasant ride along the freeway with the wind at my back. I had some great long runs in the tuck position. Half way along a road side fruit seller insisted that I eat as many mangoes and grapes as I liked at no charge! I wolfed them down and even took a bunch of grapes for later. The fruit gave me new energy and in no time I was at Brighton, where I had to carefully negotiate the Sunday afternoon crowds and then the final challenge of the Airport tunnel and crossing the lanes to Foreshore Road. Finally made it home just before 6pm. Felt pretty good.
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